Adam Erne is back in the AHL and ready to demonstrate why he belongs at the next level.

The winger earned his first promotion to Tampa Bay last year and finished the regular season with the Lightning. Erne was returned to Syracuse for the playoffs, and suited up for all 22 games on the Crunch’s road to the Calder Cup Finals.

As he begins his third professional season, Erne knows making that next step to the NHL full-time is all about consistency.

"I think just being dominant every night and proving that I deserve to be at the next level," Erne said of what it would take to earn a spot with the Lightning. "I think I have the tools to get there, it's just a matter of using them every night."

The Syracuse Crunch cut their deficit to one goal in the third period, but the Utica Comets were quick with their answer.

The Comets’ Anton Cederholm scored 1:07 after Jason Akeson got the Crunch on the board, as Utica topped Syracuse, 3-1, at the Onondaga County War Memorial Sunday. The teams split the two-game preseason series.

For Crunch head coach Benoit Groulx, the weekend showed the work that needs to be done before the regular season opener on Friday.

“I thought we played a good game last night. We had a lot of energy and today — the last game before we start thinking about real things — and I think we didn’t have good legs. No execution,” Groulx said. “Their team was much better than us. They were skating better. They were moving the puck way better. I thought it was the opposite last night.
“Overall, (I’m) very happy with training camp. We had a good week and we still have a lot to do. This game showed we still have a lot of work to do.”

“How long did it take for you to get over that finals loss? Was it a whole summer thing?”

The Crunch head coach, whose team fell in six games to the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Calder Cup Finals in his first year behind the Syracuse bench last season, smiled and shrugged. While Groulx believes his team had a good showing, it was tough to come up just short.

Groulx and the Crunch are looking to turn the page as they begin their 2017-18 campaign.

“We have many different faces,” Groulx said. “We have nine or 10 rookies on the team, but we also have solid vets — guys with a lot of experience in this league. We want to play a certain style, and that’s our goal to be competitive and see where we’re at when it starts.”

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Tye McGinn to a one-year, two-way contract, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today.

McGinn, 27, skated in 21 games with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League last season, posting 10 goals and 19 points to go along with 16 penalty minutes. McGinn missed most of the regular season due to injury. Four of his 10 goals came while on the power play. McGinn also skated in 22 Calder Cup playoff games with the Crunch, recording five goals and 16 points. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound forward has appeared in 256 career AHL games over five seasons, collecting 76 goals and 142 points.

The Fergus, Ontario native has skated in 89 career NHL games, including two with the Lightning during the 2015-16 season. McGinn has notched nine goals and 17 points to go along with 44 penalty minutes in his NHL career. He made his Lightning debut on November 1, 2015 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

McGinn was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth round, 119th overall, at the 2010 NHL Draft.

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Michael Bournival to a one-year, two-way contract, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today.

Bournival, 25, skated in 19 games with the Lightning during the 2016-17 season, recording two goals and three points to go along with two penalty minutes. The Shawinigan, Quebec native made his Bolts debut on December 1, 2016 against the St. Louis Blues, logging 6:37 of time on ice. Bournival has skated in 108 career NHL games over three seasons with the Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, posting 12 goals and 22 points.

The 5-foot-11, 198-pound forward also skated in 38 games with the Syracuse Crunch last season, collecting nine goals and 19 points to go along with 18 penalty minutes. Bournival also played in 22 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Crunch in 2017, posting eight goals and 15 points. He ranked fourth on the Crunch for playoff goals and sixth for points. He’s skated in 142 career AHL games, recording 25 goals and 69 points to go along with 66 penalty minutes.

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent left wing Alex Gallant to a one-year, two-way contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Gallant, 6-foot, 177 pounds, played in 29 games with the San Jose Barracuda last season, recording two assists. He has played in 56 career AHL games, all with San Jose during the previous two seasons, registering a goal and three points. Gallant has also skated in two career Calder Cup Playoff games with the Barracuda.

The Summerside, Prince Edward Island native has also played in 34 ECHL games with the Utah Grizzles and the Orlando Solar Bears from 2014 through 2016, recording a goal and three points.

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent defenseman Jamie McBain to a one-year, two-way contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today.

McBain, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, played in three games with the Arizona Coyotes last season. He spent the majority of the year with Arizona’s AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, recording eight goals and 43 points. He ranked second on the team for assists with 35 and was tied for third for points. McBain also added four power-play goals.

The Edina, Minnesota native has played in 348 career NHL games with the Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes. He has registered 30 goals and 110 points. McBain also played in four career Stanley Cup Playoff games, all with the Kings during the 2016 playoffs. He has also skated in 150 career AHL games, recording 18 goals and 90 points with seven power-play goals.

McBain was drafted by Carolina in the second round, 33rd overall, of the 2006 NHL Draft.

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Michael Leighton to a one-year, two-way contract, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today.

Leighton, 36, appeared in four games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, compiling a record of 2-2-0 to go along with a 3.43 goals-against average and .870 save percentage. The 6-foot-3, 186-pound goaltender has played in 110 career NHL games, posting a record of 37-43-4 with 10 ties, to go along with a 2.98 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. Leighton has also appeared in 16 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, registering a 8-4 record to go along with a 2.54 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. He started for the Flyers during the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, losing to Chicago in six games.

The Petrolia, Ontario native also played in 23 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League during the 2016-17 season, posting a record of 11-7-3 to go along with 2.17 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. Leighton has appeared in 318 career AHL games over 10 seasons, compiling a record of 157-120-32 to go along with a 2.41 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. He’s also played in 16 career Calder Cup Playoff games, posting a record of 7-8 to go along with a 1.79 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.

Leighton was originally selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round, 165th overall, at the 1999 NHL Draft.